1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cigarette supplying apparatus for supplying, one by one, a plurality of cigarettes contained randomly in a hopper in a cigarette packing apparatus, which apparatus has a simplified structure and operates accurately.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a cigarette packing apparatus every time takes out, one by one, the same number of cigarettes as that contained in a cigarette box, from a hopper in which many cigarettes are held randomly, piles them up in three steps and packs them with packing paper.
The conventional apparatus for supplying cigarettes one by one from a hopper has a plurality of supplying passages opened at the lower portion of the hopper. Cigarettes are supplied from the hopper to the supplying passages under the gravity. The cigarettes are arranged in a row in each supplying passage and delivered downwardly. The same number of the supplying passages as that in a cigarette box, for example, twenty are provided.
On the lower portion of each supplying passage is provided a holding member for holding the lowest one of the cigarettes arranged in a row in the supplying passage. The holding member is formed with a depression for holding a cigarette. A suction hole is formed in the inner surface of the holding member so that the hole sucks and holds the lowest cigarette under a negative pressure produced in the suction hole.
A receiving drum is formed under each supplying passage and depressions for receiving cigarettes and suction holes are formed in the peripheral surface of the receiving drum. As each receiving drum is rotated, it receives a cigarette held in the holding member on the lower portion of each supplying passage.
The cigarettes taken out in this way are transferred one by one to a series of arranging drums and piled into three steps in a staggered fashion, the first step includes seven cigarettes, the second step includes six cigarettes and the third step includes seven cigarettes. The cigarettes thus piled up in a staggered fashion are packaged together.
The cigarettes held in the holding member on the lower portion of each supplying passage must support the weight of a plurality of cigarettes arranged in the supplying passage so that they do not drop and must be transported to the respective receiving member accurately when they pass through the receiving member. Thus, with the cigarettes supported by the holding member on the lower portion of each supplying passage under a negative pressure, the holding force of the cigarettes must be adjusted delicately. When the negative pressure is too weak, the cigarettes drop from the supplying passage. When the negative pressure is too strong on the other hand, the cigarettes are likely to be damaged when they are received by the receiving member. In the conventional apparatus, negative pressure passages communicating with the suction holes opened at the receiving members and other parts have complicated structures. The holding members and the receiving members are likely to clog with shredded pieces dropping out of the cigarettes and suction forces change, making it more difficult to adjust the suction forces.
The present invention provides a cigarette supplying apparatus in which cigarettes are held securely by holding members on the lower portions of the supplying passages for securely transferring the cigarettes to receiving drums. The present invention has a simple structure.